CR’s take: For $80, this Mr. Coffee 12-cup drip brewer is surprisingly stylish. Its airy design sets it apart from the blocky shapes common to the category. This model earns a rating of Very Good in CR’s brew-performance tests and makes a full pot in just 9 minutes. It offers brew-strength control, programming, and a permanent coffee filter. With its performance and striking appearance, you might not mind having it out on the counter—especially in a kitchen with a stainless fridge and range.
For example, if your coffee tastes a bit salty or sour, the grounds are under-extracted, which can be remedied by a finer grind. But what if only some of your grounds are too coarse, and others are too fine – and maybe some are just right? Having uniform grind size throughout your brew basket makes it easier to isolate and adjust this variable in order to get the level of extraction you want. The only way to achieve that is with a burr grinder. Miller — as well as a handful of our other experts — recommends the Barazata Encore Coffee Grinder ($129).
The method for making coffee in a percolator had barely changed since its introduction in the early part of the 20th century. However, in 1970 General Foods Corporation introduced Max Pax, the first commercially available "ground coffee filter rings". The Max Pax filters were named so as to compliment General Foods' Maxwell House coffee brand. The Max Pax coffee filter rings were designed for use in percolators, and each ring contained a pre-measured amount of coffee grounds that were sealed in a self-contained paper filter. The sealed rings resembled the shape of a doughnut, and the small hole in the middle of the ring enabled the coffee filter ring to be placed in the metal percolator basket around the protruding convection (percolator) tube.
For example, if your coffee tastes a bit salty or sour, the grounds are under-extracted, which can be remedied by a finer grind. But what if only some of your grounds are too coarse, and others are too fine – and maybe some are just right? Having uniform grind size throughout your brew basket makes it easier to isolate and adjust this variable in order to get the level of extraction you want. The only way to achieve that is with a burr grinder. Miller — as well as a handful of our other experts — recommends the Barazata Encore Coffee Grinder ($129).

CR’s take: If you like the look of black stainless steel, you can add a hit of the trendy finish to your kitchen with the Bella Ultimate Elite Collection coffee maker. Appearance aside, this model brews a fresh pot in just 9 minutes and is graceful in action, earning strong ratings in our carafe handling tests. It offers programming, brew-strength control, a pause-and-serve feature, and auto-shutoff. Bella drip machines also received a Very Good rating for predicted reliability. At about $50, this affordable, attractive option won’t disappoint.

It’s not that cone filters won’t make a great cup of coffee — the OXO On 9-Cup still ranked fifth out of 10 in our taste test. But flat bottoms generally allow for the grounds to be more evenly extracted and increase the coffee’s flavor. (It’s no coincidence our other three recommendations have flat-bottom brew baskets). You may have to do a little more tweaking to get this coffee maker’s brew to the best it can be, and that’s the other reason we like the 12-cupper more. This smaller version doesn’t let you tinker with water temperature.

ON THE GO - Compact, solid, hand-powered portable coffee machine for perfect espresso on the go – and compatible with Nespresso® capsules! HAND POWERED - The Minipresso is a miracle of coffee preparation - a hand-powered espresso machine that is both pleasing on the eye and amazingly adept at performing its core task. The inventors wanted an instrument that would enable them to have a great cup of caffeinated goodness wherever they were. LIGHT & COMPACT - This device packs an enormous punch for its slight weight and size (360 grams and 17.5cms in length).

A Bosch coffee brewmaster celebrates the preparation of coffee. They operate their coffee machine with absolute confidence, and every step in the procedure is precise down to the last detail. Thanks to the innovative technology in the new Bosch Built-In Coffee Machine, with Home Connect, it’s easy to become a coffee Brewmaster. Whether you are preparing a frothy latte macchiato for one, or a variety of beverages while entertaining a group, creating delicious espresso and coffee beverages is now easier than ever before.
The Baratza Encore is simplicity defined and our top coffee grinder. This burr grinder has a 40-setting grind size selector, an on-off switch for continuous grinding, and a push-button for manual control. That's it. Other grinders include complicated timers, built-in scales, strength adjustment sliders, and other doodads, but Baratza suggests that you don't need them—and they're right. Measure your beans using a separate scale, grind them fresh for each cup. That's the way to do it.
Throughout the latter part of the 20th century, a number of inventors patented various coffeemaker designs using an automated form of the drip brew method. Subsequent designs have featured changes in heating elements, spray head, and brew-basket design, as well as the addition of timers and clocks for automatic-start, water filtration, filter and carafe design, and even built-in coffee grinding mechanisms.
Dedicated to the best in all things brewing, Capresso presents the new Capresso Perk, a contemporary upgrade of the classic percolator. The Capresso Perk features elegant, durable stainless steel construction, with a view-through glass lid that showcases the percolating process. It brews 4 to 12 cups of piping, hot coffee in less than a minute per cup. Its automatic keep-warm function ensures that coffee is ready whenever you want it. Percolators are making a comeback, for entertaining, ease of...
Bring home this Cuisinart PerfecTemp 12-Cup Thermal Programmable Coffee Maker, which due to its dimensions can fit into small spaces in a neat manner. The coffee machine can be programmed, as per your personal preferences to make the best cup of coffee. The lid at the top of the coffee maker seals in the aroma of the coffee, whilst you brew it. The PerfecTemp 12-Cup Thermal Programmable Coffee Maker from Cuisinart is made from excellent quality materials, which lends it a sturdy and durable...
ON THE GO - Compact, solid, hand-powered portable coffee machine for perfect espresso on the go – and compatible with Nespresso® capsules! HAND POWERED - The Minipresso is a miracle of coffee preparation - a hand-powered espresso machine that is both pleasing on the eye and amazingly adept at performing its core task. The inventors wanted an instrument that would enable them to have a great cup of caffeinated goodness wherever they were. LIGHT & COMPACT - This device packs an enormous punch for its slight weight and size (360 grams and 17.5cms in length).
On August 27, 1930, Inez H. Pierce of Chicago, Illinois filed patent for the first vacuum coffee maker that truly automated the vacuum brewing process, while eliminating the need for a stove top burner or liquid fuels.[1] An electrically heated stove was incorporated into the design of the vacuum brewer. Water was heated in a recessed well, which reduced wait times and forced the hottest water into the reaction chamber. Once the process was complete, a thermostat using bi-metallic expansion principles shut off heat to the unit at the appropriate time. Pierce's invention was the first truly "automatic" vacuum coffee brewer, and was later incorporated in the Farberware Coffee Robot.
The KitchenAid 12-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker, in onyx black, features a removable water tank that is easily accessible and includes printed water level indicators that make it easy to fill. The dishwasher-safe glass carafe features a dripless pouring spout and a comfortable soft-grip handle. The refined brew process includes a combination of the shower heads and a flat-bottom brew basket to evenly saturate the coffee grounds for uniform extraction and maximum flavor. The 1 to 4 cup brew...

The KitchenAid® Pour Over Coffee Brewer combines the flavor and control of the manual pour over process with one-touch convenience. The Pour Over Coffee Brewer precisely heats and pulses the flow of water, steeping in the same manner as the manual pour over process, allowing the grounds to 'bloom'. The result is bright, clean and full flavored coffee without diluting due to over-soaking.

The Hamilton Beach 12-Cup BrewStation coffee maker offers convenient one-hand dispensing without a conventional glass carafe. There's no pouring or spills, and nothing fragile to break and replace. No matter how much you try, it’s impossible to get freshly brewed flavor from coffee that’s been sitting on a hot plate too long. That’s why the Hamilton Beach BrewStation was created, the only coffeemaker that keeps coffee tasting fresh for up to four hours. This best-selling coffee maker...

Here at the Strategist, we like to think of ourselves as crazy (in the good way) about the stuff we buy (like pillows), but as much as we’d like to, we can’t try everything. Which is why we have People’s Choice, in which we find the best-reviewed (that’s four-to-five-star reviews and lots of ‘em) products and single out the most convincing. While we’ve written about coffee machines, coffee grinders, even gifts for coffee lovers, here, we’ve gone deep on the best espresso machines on Amazon, according to the people. (Note that reviews have been edited for length and clarity.)

The KitchenAid® Pour Over Coffee Brewer combines the flavor and control of the manual pour over process with one-touch convenience. The Pour Over Coffee Brewer precisely heats and pulses the flow of water, steeping in the same manner as the manual pour over process, allowing the grounds to 'bloom'. The result is bright, clean and full flavored coffee without diluting due to over-soaking.
†Programmable Brew Time: Conventional wisdom frowns at grinding beans early and programming a pot to brew later. The aromatic compounds in coffee beans start to oxidize as quickly as 15 minutes after grinding, which causes coffee to start losing aroma and flavor. But Michael Ebert, senior consultant at Firedancer Coffee Consultants, LLC, assured us that, given the trade-offs for convenience, “grinding the night before will still make a great coffee — just not as great as it could be.” Seven of the 10 pots we tested are programmable, including three of our top picks (all but the Bonavita).
It also automatically pre-infuses the coffee, allowing the grounds to vent their CO2 and “bloom.” Remember, only half of the machines we tested had this feature, and it proved to pay off in our taste tests. The four machines we recommend all pre-infuse. Only one coffee maker without it, the Hamilton Beach, performed well at all in our taste tests — but that guy was so cheap and flimsy, part of the brew basket broke during our testing. Sorry, Hamilton Beach.
CR’s take: Like the model above, the Cuisinart Burr Grind & Brew takes whole coffee beans and grinds them fresh for each pot. It features programming, brew-strength control, a water filter, a permanent coffee filter, and auto-shutoff. This model earns a great rating for carafe handling. The stainless steel finish and glass carafe certainly elevate the experience of using it. Cuisinart brewers also received an Excellent rating for owner satisfaction. But the performance and finish come at a premium—this machine costs significantly more than the Black+Decker Mill & Brew.